The public is invited to attend an Author Meet and Greet of "The Lindbergh Kidnapping and the Origin of the Viral Conspiracy Theory," a new book by author Dr. John D. Van Dyke.
Dr. Van Dyke's book is the result of a year-long investigation into 1932’s Crime of the Century. The Lindbergh Kidnapping and the Origin of the Viral Conspiracy Theory debunks the post-Watergate conspiracies that sought to exonerate Bruno Richard Hauptmann, the man executed for kidnapping and murdering Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr.
The event is on Sunday, November 9, 2025, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Fables Books (215 S. Main, Goshen, IN).
Admission is free. Signed copies of The Lindbergh Kidnapping and the Origin of the Viral Conspiracy Theory will be available for purchase following the presentation.
Educator John D. Van Dyke has published a new book that aims to analyze and refute the conspiracy theories that attempt to exonerate Bruno Richard Hauptmann of the kidnapping and murder of Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr.
The Lindbergh Kidnapping and the Origin of the Viral Conspiracy Theory unpacks the lives of the two men at the center of the case: Charles Lindbergh, the heralded aviator and victim who later became a pariah for his opposition to US involvement in World War II, and Bruno Richard Hauptmann, the hapless illegal immigrant executed for the Crime of the Century.
The Lindbergh Kidnapping and the Origin of the Viral Conspiracy Theory also explores how conspiratorial thinking infiltrates our international psyche and why so many people believe in it.
Please refer to the press release below for additional information, and let me know if you would like to schedule an interview, review, or feature with the author.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Book Debunks Lindbergh Kidnapping Conspiracies
MCLEAN, VA, July 25, 2025
In The Lindbergh Kidnapping and the Origin of the Viral Conspiracy Theory (subtitle): How The Crime of The Century Set the Mold For Conspiratorial Thinking And Why We Continue to Believe Hauptmann Was Innocent (Miniver Press)
Science educator and author John Van Dyke takes a skeptical view of the various Hauptmann-was-innocent conspiracy theories that arose from post-Watergate paranoia and continue to the present day.
In an interview, Van Dyke can discuss the following:
A detailed chronology of the crime, beginning with March 1, 1932, the night Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. was kidnapped, and ending April 3, 1936, when Bruno Richard Hauptmann was executed for the crime.
Linbergh’s childhood and his complicated relationship with his mother, Evangeline Lodge Lindbergh.
Why the Lindbergh Kidnapping case was “The Crime of the Century,” and will likely never be rivaled in terms of public interest.
A science teacher’s guide to why we believe in conspiracy theories.
The facts about Lindbergh’s advocacy for eugenics, Nazi sympathy, antisemitism, his political war with Franklin D. Roosevelt, his work with Dr. Alexis Carrel, and the secret German children he fathered in the 1950s.
Detailed analysis and refutation of the various Hauptmann-was-innocent conspiracy theories.
Van Dyke’s current battle of words with Lise Pearlman, author of The Lindbergh Kidnapping Suspect No. 1: The Man Who Got Away, and Pearlman’s expert, Dr. Claus Peter Speth. Van Dyke notes Speth’s indictment and conviction for witness tampering in his criticism of Pearlman’s theory that Lindbergh orchestrated the murder of his son through medical experimentation.
Van Dyke’s email exchanges with Kate Coe, an archival producer for the television program "Crimes of the Century." In 1988, Anna Hauptmann was interviewed for the program and acknowledged that her husband was involved in the crime.
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TIP SHEET
The press release above may be published in part or in its entirety by any print, broadcast, or internet/digital media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing.
Reviews, photos, and Q&As are available upon request.
ISBN: 978-1-939282-56-9 Published by Miniver Press, LLC, McLean, Virginia
AI Podcast points:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTQIx-8dKJo
Ebook: https://amzn.to/3J2rhks
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dr. John D. Van Dyke, The Lindbergh Kidnapping and the Origin of the Viral Conspiracy Theory: How The Crime of The Century Set the Mold For Conspiratorial Thinking And Why We Continue to Believe Hauptmann Was Innocent
ISBN: 978-1-939282-56-9
Published by Miniver Press, LLC, McLean, Virginia. Copyright 2025 Nell Minow
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this book on-screen or in print. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Nell Minow. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner to train artificial intelligence technologies or systems, and this title is expressly reserved from the text and data mining exception under the European Parliament directive.
For information regarding permission, write to editor@miniverpress.com
About the Author
Dr. John D. Van Dyke is a writer, academic, science educator, and failed rockstar. His essays have appeared in Skeptic, Roger Ebert’s Journal, The Chamber, Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, Journal of African American Studies, Pop Matters, and Michigan History. In 2020, Van Dyke successfully nominated his hometown of Buchanan, MI, to be Reader’s Digest’s “Nicest Place in America.” Van Dyke has been featured on internationally syndicated radio programs, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Our American Stories. The Lindbergh Kidnapping and the Origin of the Viral Conspiracy Theory is Van Dyke's first book. His website is www.vandykerevue.org. Stream his songs on Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes.
www.vandykerevue.org
To book an interview with John Van Dyke, please contact (574) 220-8263 or vandykerevueband@yahoo.com
Media:
John D. Van Dyke
574 220 8263
vandykerevueband@yahoo.com
Publisher: Miniver Press
Nell Minow
Miniver Press
nminow@yahoo.com
